Events

3rd Session Paper Presentation

Fourth TANAP Conference in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The third sessions was also devoted to continuity and change on Java, be it in completely different papers. Bondan Kanumoyoso explained how he had processed 1,000 transfer deeds of slaves from the archive a one notary public in Batavia, an innovating study, according to Prof. Leonard Blussé. Nevertheless some questions remain unanswered. How did the groups merge together?, Prof. Blussé asked. Dr. L. Wagenaar pointed out that slavery was a tool bo bring people together, but it is disconnecting the people from their roots.

Ota Atsushi presented his last research findings on 'Piracy' and 'Smugling', using a neutralizing perspective, away from the usual colonial convictions. Singghi Tri Sulistiyono asked how important Lampung pepper was for the Chinese imports, and how big the role was of smugglers in the export activities. Prof. Lapian explained how piracy and smuggling were concepts in the minds of established governments. Max Weber has said that sovereign governments have the monopoly over the means of violence. Who were the sovereign governments in the Sunda Straits? Who were the other contenders? Piracy is a phenomenon of the long durée, he pointed out, it has a long history in that region, and it still exists today.